Markets

The Year of the Snake celebrations kicked off with a bang at the Chinese New Year Markets. Belmore Park came alight with traditional lanterns, as marketgoers delighted in exquisite traditional dishes, among a flurry of entertainment complete with DJs and dancing snakes.

Music filled the park’s grounds, as fabulous lion dancers joined the Vietnamese singers, Cantonese opera and Asian Pop performers who serenaded the crowd. The braver marketgoers even had a chance to test their own vocal chords at a heart-stopping karaoke competition, while martial arts demonstrations thrilled those more interested in the magnificent dance of combat.

While sampling steaming-hot dumplings and delectable noodles, the crowd had a chance to scrub up their own cooking skills at the Chinese New Year AYAM™ Kitchen, under the expert guidance of top chefs and former MasterChef contestants Adam Liaw and Alvin Quah. While the pros showed the crowd what they’re made of on the day, you can still inspire the spices in your own kitchen by recreating one of Alvin’s mouth-watering Lunar New Year dishes for your own friends and family.

View some colourful impressions from the Chinese New Year markets here…

And don’t forget to check out the galleries of some of the other events this year’s program had in store!

Relive the magic of the Twilight Parade – the colour, the costumes, the 100,000-strong crowd lining the streets between Town Hall and Chinatown. Sydney’s stunning Town Hall hosted the glamorous Dragon Ball as well as a unique Asian Australian contemporary art exhibition - Snake Snake Snake. And we finished the festival with a roar of the oars at the annual Dragon Boat races in Cockle Bay.